The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) filed a motion for reconsideration on Monday, August 17, seeking to lift the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 152’s issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction against the P85 wage hike.

Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, together with Solicitor General Jane Yu, filed the motion, maintaining that the NCR Wage Order No. NCR-27 was issued through the established tripartite wage-setting process and is pursuant to the government’s continued commitment to protect workers’ rights.

“Nag-file tayo ng Motion for Reconsideration para mariin nating kuwestyunin ‘yung naging desisyon ng Branch 152. Sinasabi natin, basically, walang jurisdiction, hindi in-exhaust ‘yung administrative remedies, tinalikuran ‘yung Article 126 at hindi naipakita na mayroon talagang pagsunod doon sa nilalahad ng Article 123,” Tolentino said.

Moreover, he said that DOLE will continue to pursue all appropriate legal remedies to “secure the wage increase that minimum earners in Metro Manila deserve.”

“Ito [preliminary injunction on the implementation of NCR wage increase] ay dagok sa ating labor code, dagok sa karapatan ng mga manggagawa at siguro hinihiling natin [at] ulit-ulitin kong sabihin na aminin ng husgado na mali sila,” Tolentino emphasized.

“Maraming beses na nangyari ‘yan na the court itself will reverse a prior decision. So, i-dismiss po na yung kaso,” he added.

The P85 wage increase was set to take effect in July. An estimated 1.1 million daily wage earners in Metro Manila were expected to receive the additional income.